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NBA trade deadline: What a dud for the Celtics – Metro US

NBA trade deadline: What a dud for the Celtics

The NBA trade deadline was an unstoppable force that was sure to change the face of the NBA and the Boston Celtics forever.

Then it came.

And went.

And, well, meet the new Celtics, same as the old Celtics.

Reports
are that C’s president Danny Ainge listened to offers from opposing
teams, but just wasn’t satisfied enough with the offers on the table.
The Celtics stood pat on Thursday, electing to stick with their
if-we’re-going-down-we’re-going-down-swinging Celtics.

That’s
fine, actually. The C’s could have traded Ray Allen, their most likely
tradable option of the Big Four, but his asking price of a first round
pick and a young talent was too much. Rajon Rondo, contrary to many
reports, was not really ever an option at the deadline.

Instead,
the C’s, winners of two in a row out West, will hope to band together,
stay healthy, and add couple of big men to the team through buyouts or
the D-League.

It’s certainly a far cry from the team’s feeling
last year while they were out west, when Danny Ainge traded away
Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson. Players won’t admit it – saying
“it’s a business” – but the truth is, the trade deadline and days
leading up to it really does affect them. With that weight off their
collective shoulders, perhaps the C’s play with a little more confidence
and togetherness.

But the need for a big man is still very
real. Chris Wilcox is out for the year, and Jermaine O’Neal reportedly
wants out of Boston – not to mention he’s borderline useless to begin
with at this point. So what’s to do?

New Orleans Hornets center
Chris Kaman is a player that many teams were in the running for, but
none got. There’s a chance he gets bought out by Hornets, making him
available to any team for the remainder of the season plus the
postseason, as long as he’s signed by March 23. That would be the C’s
first option, but Danny Ainge would really have to reach into his bag of
tricks for that get.

There will be a couple of other buyouts
that the C’s may have interest in, and if not, the NBA D-League is where
they found 7-footer Chris Johnson last season, now with the Portland
Trailblazers. Dan Gadzuric (6-foot-11) is a former NBA player who is
currently available in the D-League.